It's Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

I applaud the actions for peace and civility in Humboldt County spearheaded by Jambalaya Arcata.

Peace begins at home, in our community, and in our families. Domestic violence is a plague in Humboldt County and it impacts differentially on our youth. Bullying, cyber-bullying and assaults against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender youth occur daily in our high schools. This is inextricably connected to adolescent relationship abuse.

Teen dating violence, or adolescent relationship abuse, operates in the same way as does domestic violence -- it's a combination of physical and sexual abuse, isolation, jealousy, destruction of property and reputation. Although violence can be directed at boys, teen dating violence, like domestic violence, is rooted in vicious and antiquated stereotypes about girls and about LGBT people.

Adolescents, especially adolescent girls, are at a greater risk for sexual assault then any other age group. Of the women who reported being raped at some time in their lives, 22 percent were under 12 years old and 32 percent were 12 to 17 years old when they were first raped. (National Institute of Justice, 1998.)

Among adult victims of rape, physical violence, and/ or stalking by an intimate partner, 22.4 percent of women and 15 percent of men first experienced some form of partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age. (CDC, 2010). Research also clearly indicates that the most successful interventions with batterers occur when they are under the age of 25 -- the earlier, the better.

What can you do to prevent domestic and dating violence? You can get educated, and become an ally to young people, and refer them to helping resources in our community and on the web. You can speak up against popular media that glorifies and condones violence in all its forms.

You can look at and refer a young person to loveisrespect.org. There are live chat, telephone, and text options. They have quizzes about healthy relationships, abuser change, good boyfriends and girlfriends, and how to be helpful to someone else. They have a section about where to go and what to do when the abuse starts as well as how to develop a safety plan. Circle of 6 is an iPhone app for college-aged students and their friends to stay close, stay safe, and prevent violence before it happens. For parents, there is a free iPhone app "Love is Not Abuse," which helps parents talk to their kids about teen dating violence. The National Teen Violence Dating hotline is 1-866-331-9474.

Locally, Humboldt State University is expanding its sexual assault prevention efforts to include domestic and dating violence. To get involved, contact Mary Sue Savage at MSS62@humboldt.edu.

You can invite the North Coast Rape Crisis Team to speak at a middle or high school, (445-2737) and you can refer survivors to their crisis line at 445-2881 or to Humboldt Domestic Violence Services at 443-6042. All crisis lines mentioned are 24/7.

You can take a stand -- one act of courage can change the world.

Susan McGee is the coordinator of the Humboldt County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council and can be reached at SusanGSMcGee@aol.com.